Michael Malone breaks down roster-building philosophy, mold for North Carolina

New North Carolina basketball coach Michael Malone is preparing to jump head-first into college basketball after an accomplished career coaching in the NBA. Formally introduced on the day the transfer portal opened, he provided a glimpse at what fans can expect moving forward.

Known for his tactical prowess, college basketball roster-building is a new element for Malone. From the transfer portal to international recruiting, along with high school prospects, there are plenty new challenges which will arise early and often.

Already focused on building a staff which can help ease the transition and provide insight into the process, Malone is ready to start building. After expressing strong opinions about the players he wanted in his NBA rotation multiple times, he will now get his chance to control a roster.

While North Carolina already has general manager Jim Tanner in place – who was mentioned in the plan moving forward by Malone – the relationship between coach and front office differs greatly in college basketball and the NBA. Here, he can guide the roster into his image at a different level.

Michael Malone’s roster-building strategy

North Carolina already has multiple players in the transfer portal, but that did not stop them from attending Michael Malone’s introductory press conference to hear more about his vision. He emphasized that step one includes retention, including those already evaluating their other options.

“We have some players on the roster who are currently in the portal,” said Malone. “We’re going to talk to them more about that in the coming days. And then we’ll look to see what’s available outside.

“I’m going to surround myself with best people possible to help me get a better grasp on it, so we can attack it.”

Star center Henri Veesaar is among the most important players from last season who faces many decisions between a potential return, the transfer portal, and NBA Draft conversations. He averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds in the 2025-26 season.

While Veesaar arrived in the transfer portal from Arizona, he is another in a long list of college basketball players who have come from the international ranks. That is a pipeline which Malone targeted as a key roster-building source.

“As I hire my staff, I want to hire guys who have great contacts – not only in the country – but around the world,” Malone said. “So we can continue to bring the best players here and help them develop, so we can build the best team.”

Malone’s history coaching Serbian star Nikola Jokic could provide him with an early advantage as recruits players who grew up idolizing the Denver Nuggets superstar.

Identifying a North Carolina player

In his first public appearance since taking the North Carolina job, Michael Malone also went in depth on the type of player he wants to coach. From the on-court style to off-court personality, he set an early tone for fans to watch.

“I love guys that have a motor, that play hard,” Malone said. “You don’t have to wind up and motivate a player – I love self-motivated players who play hard. Toughness, you can’t put a dollar sign on toughness. And then IQ.

“Those are the things that jump out regardless of position – one through five, what you shoot from the foul line, what you shoot from the 3-point line. If you have a motor, your tough and you have IQ, you have a chance to be a hell of a player.”

With a vision for his players on the court, Malone also knows the importance of building strong culture in the locker room.

“When I think about the culture we’re going to create here – same culture that we built in Denver,” Malone said. “It doesn’t matter, NBA or college, you can have a strong culture and that’s going to start with being a work team.

“A team that outworks people, stays motivated. I want to surround myself with players that have that kind of work ethic. I shouldn’t have to go to practice and try to motivate you every day.”

As Malone continues to adjust to life in college basketball, time will tell how his roster-building strategy translates to the game after years of input into successful NBA rosters.